Windmill-regulator



, No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 1.

J. N. SWANSON. WINDMILL REGULATOR.

No. 577.495. Patented Feb. 23, 1897.

WITNESSES:

' 3 Sheets8heet 2.. J. N. SWANSON.

. WINDMILL REGULATOR. No. 577,495. Patentedfeb. 23, 1897.

3 Sheets8heet 3v (N0 ModeLj J. N. SWAN SON. WINDMILL REGULATOR.

No. 577,495. Patented Feb. 23, 1897.

m: NORRIS PETERS co. FHGTOLITHO wAsummcx n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. SVVANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDMILL-REGULATORF SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.577,495, dated February 23, 1897'.

Application filed March 16, 1896.

To aZZ whom it may concern- Be it known that I, JOHN N. SWANSON, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county ofCook'and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulVVindmill-Regulator, of which the following is a and thus save not onlythe amount of power required to move the parts of the regulator when notin use for the purpose intended, but also prevents an undue amount ofwear therein.

.My new regulator is described hereinafter, and is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation comprisingthe parts which are usually placed in a well or cistern in closeconnection with the pump and are shown in the initial position, aportion of the top of the pump, the lower portion of the air-chamber,and the regulator pressure-cylinder and chamber inconnection therewithbroken away to an axial section to illustrate the action of the water instarting the operative parts of the regulator. Fig. 2 is an elevationsimilar to Fig. 1, but with the parts of the regulator in the operativeposition, as is hereinafter fully described. Fig. 3 is an isometricperspective view of a portion of the pump-rod with a catch-blockattached thereto; and Fig. 4 is an isometric perspective view of aportion of the free end of the regulator starting-lever, with a smallportion broken away to show a pin which is engaged by a notch in thecatch-block shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an axial section of apressurechamber attached to the bottom of and inside the water-tank,there being a pipe shown also in axial section which is attached to thetop of the pressure-chamber and which supports and guides a float at thetop thereof, which latter, together with two valves which guard SerialNo. 583,377. (No model.)

openings in the pressure-chamber and a lever connected to one of thevalves and a float connected with the lever, are shown in elevation.Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. 5, with the exception that some of theoperative parts are shown in a changed position relative to what isshown in Fig. 5.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

As before stated, the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are usually placed ina well or cistern below the wind-wheel, from which source of powerextends downwardly the pump-rod A into the pump-cylinder A, whose supplyor suction pipe A extends downwardly to the water to be pumped.

At B and B are shown the usual two pipes for suspending the pump in thewell, the upper ends of these pipes being secured to the well platformor cover. Pipe B serves also as an air-chamber by having the top endclosed, as usual, and the lower end attached to and in communicationwith a hollow chamber C, which latter is connected with a vertical pipeD, which is connected to and communicat-es with pressure-chamber E,Figs. 5 and 6, in the elevated water-tank.

At 0 is a check-valve which prevents a return of the water from chamber0 to the pump.

At F and F are shown the members of a frame which isattached to thesupport or airchamber B and to pipe D, and to the outer end of thisframe is pivotally mounted upon a pin a combined ratchet-and-rope wheel,which is furnished with two circles of ratchetteeth G and G, therope-wheel being at the rear of the larger ratchet-circle, and not shownin the drawings. A lever H is pivotally mounted at one end to thepivotal pin of the ratchet-wheel, which is disposed in a slot in thelever, so that the lever may vibrate in a vertical plane, and also slidelongitudinally, the other end of the lever being doubled upon itself,Fig. 4, and provided with a pin H, which latter is adapted to engage aslot 1 in a catch-block I, which is firmly secured to one side of thepump-rod A.

At 11 on lever H is a panel which is adapted to engage with the smallercircle of ratchetteeth G, when lever H is in the operative po sitionshown in Fig. 2.

A bell-crank lever K is pivotally attached to the lower member F of theframe, and the short arm of this lever is connected to lever II by redJ, and the long arm of lever K is connected to a piston L in cylinder Lby a rod K, the cylinder L being in communication under piston L withthe chamber 0.

At 1' is a weight adjustably secured to the long arm of lever K, and atK is a detent pivotally secured to the lower member F of the frame,which detent is adapted to engage with the larger circle ofratchet-teeth G, when not lifted out of engagement therewith by themovement of the long arm of lever K, contacting a tail-rod K, which isattached to the detent.

The pawl 11 and detent K are held in engagcment with the ratchet-teethby springs, and pawl H is provided with a stop to hold the same in theproper position against its spring when drawn back from the ratchet,Fig. l, and not in action, the tail-rod K serving as a stop for detent KThe apparatus shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as before stated, is situated inthe water reservoir or tank whose bottom is shown at E, into which tankthe water from pump A is forced, and this apparatus comprises apressure-chamber E, secured water-tight to the bottom E of the tank, andis connected with pipe D, Figs. 1 and 2, at the lower end, as shown.There is a side orifice guarded by a valve N, which is movably held onits seat by the buoyancy of float N opera-ting through red N andbell-crank lever N.

At 0 is a top cover for pressure-chamber E, in which is an opening 0,and there is a valve 0 which closes opening 0 when lifted to theposition shown in Fig. 6 by the buoyancy of float P, which is connectedto the valve by guide P, rod P and chain P which are disposed in pipeQand chamber Q, in cap 0, which latter chamber is provided with anopening communicating with the tank.

Float N is guided and limited in its downward movement by an arm Qattached to pipe Q.

In describing the operation of this regulw tor we will suppose thewindmill has been operating the pump A and water has been forced throughpipe Dinto pressure-cha1nber E out through orifice N, which is open whenthe tank is empty, and through orifice Q into the tank until it has beenfilled up to the broken line (5 0. Then the buoyancy of float N willoperate valve N and close orifice N, as shown in Fig. 5. ll now thewind-wheel continues to operate the pump, the water will continue toflow out at opening until the tank is filled up to float I, which isgradually lifted to the position shown in the broken lines to that shownin the solid lines, Fig. 6, and with it the connected valve 0 until thelatter closes the opening Q, when instantly, on account of the flow ofwater-being stopped, the pressure will suddenly rise in chamber E, pipeD, and the chamber 0 at the top of the pump, together with air-chamberB, Figs.

1 and 2, when the piston L in cylinder L will rise and cause bell-cranklever K to force lever II outwardly while in the position resting on pinB, Fig. 1, when pin II will engage with notch I in the catch-block I 011the pump-rod and the pawl 11 engage with the teeth of ratchet-circle Gand the tail-piece K 01? detent K be released, so that the detentengages ratchet-circle G, when the reeiprocations of the connectedpump-rod will vibrate lever II and cause pawl II to turn theratchet-wheel in the direction indicated by arrow 7, Fig. 2, whichserves to wind on the attached rope S, which stops the wind-whecl byoperating the stop mechanism thereof, to which the top end of the ropeis secured. During the time the rope Sis being pulled down to operatethe stop mechanism of the wind-wheel the pump will necessarily be inoperation, and since it is necessary to not only preserve a pressuremore than normal in the cylinder L of the regulator and also permit theescape of the water being pumped the valve N serves as a relief-valve,which will uncover the orifice N whenever the pressure in chamber Eexceeds an amount which is necessary to operate piston L in cylinder L,and which pressure may be regulated by the attachment of the lower endof rod N of Heat N at the proper distance from the pivotal center oflever N. During the time the wind-wheel and pump are not in action apressure must still be maintained in regulatorcylinder L to hold pawl IIand the detent K in engagement with the ratchet-circles G and G, so thatthe rope S is held wound on the pulley of the ratchet-wheel, and thusalso holds the stop mechanism of the wind-wheel in the position toprevent the wind-wheel from revolving by the action of the wind. If,however, water is being drawn from the tank, the surface of the waterwill lower after the pump has stopped working, until the float P restsupon the top of pipe Q, when the pressure in chamber E serves to holdvalve 0 on its seat, instead of the buoyancy of float I, and if thesurface of the water continues to lower it will reach float N which, onbeing carried down from the position shown in the solid lines to thatshown in the broken lines, Fig. 6, will release valve N and lower thepressure in chamber E, when valve 0 will drop and open orifice O, whichalso relieves the abnormal pressure in regulator-cylinder L and causethe gravity of weight K to move piston L back to the initial positionand lever K from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1,and to force pin II out of engagement with notch I in catch-block I,which permits lever II to fall to the initial position, Fig. 1, restingon pin R, and also disengage pawl II and detent K when the ratchet-wheelis revolved backwardly by the upward pull of rope S, caused by thegravity of the weight connected with the usual starting-gear of thewind-Wheel, which when released operates to start the wind-wheel and thepump,'whichis adapted to force water up throughpipe D and out an orificeN and Q into the tank until float N is again lifted and orifice N closedby valve N, when the balance of the hereinbefore-described cycle ofactions is repeated in case the supply of water from the pump is greaterthan the demand from the tank.

Should an accident occur to prevent stopping the wind-wheel, as usual,after almost a.

revolution of the ratchet-wheel, a blank space covering the space of thepitch of several teeth is made at G at the end of the series ofratchet-teeth on ratchet-circle G, where 7 all that is necessary to pullin suflicient length of rope S tooperate the stop mechanism of thewind-wheel. This stop mechanism is particularly adapted to use forwindmills where there is a variable demand for water, for the reasonthat it will hold the wind-wheel in the inoperative condition for longerperiods than is usual with other regulators, and since no part of theregulator is in operation continuously with the wind-wheel, theregulator only operating for a few moments at the high and low stages ofwater in the tank, much unnecessary wear is saved and the perfectworking condition of the operative parts extended over a much greaterlength of time than is the case where the wind-wheel on light duty isalmost continuously in action.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a regulator for apumping-windmill, of a pump having a discharge-pipe communicating with apressurechamber having a discharge-opening communicating with anelevated tank, the discharge-opening normally open, but provided with avalve opening outwardly, which valve is operated to close thedischarge-opening by the buoyancy of a float in the tank, a checkvalvein the discharge-pipe of the pump between the pressure-chamber and thepump, a pressure-cylinder in free communication with the saiddischarge-pipe, a piston in the pressure-cylinder, a ratchet-wheelhaving a rope connected therewith and to the stop mechanism of thewindmill, and means connected with the said piston for engaging a leverwith the pump rod, and a pawl attached to the said lever, and a detentwith the ratchetwheel, whereby the reciprocating motion of the pump-rodserves to operate the stop mechanism of the windmill, at the time and inthe manner described.

2. In apumping-windmill which discharges water into an elevated tank, inthe regulating mechanism therefor, a ratchet-Wheel to which the stopmechanism of the windmill is connected, a pressure-cylinder having apiston therein and in communication with the discharge-pipe of the pumpbetween the pump and the elevated tank, a lever connected with the saidpiston, which latter operates to engage the lever through a pawl mountedthereon with the ratchet-Wheel, and with the pumprod, and operates thestop mechanism of the windmill, in the manner and for the purposestated.

3. The'combination in a means for regulating pumping-windmills whichdischarge water into an elevated tank, of a ratchet-wheel to which thestop mechanism of the windmill is attached, a pressure-cylinder having apiston therein and in communication with the discharge-pipe of the pumpbetween the pump and the elevated tank, the said piston, by

virtue of the pressure of water in the discharge-pipe, adapted tooperate the ratchetwheel and the said stop mechanism, a pressure-chamberin the tank communicating with the discharge-pipe of the pump and havinga discharge-orifice normally open, but

provided with a valve opening inwardly which is closed by the buoyancyof a float in the tank, whereby a greater than usual pressure isattained in the discharge-pipe of the pump, and a seconddischarge-orifice in the said pressure-chamber normally closed by avalve opening outwardly which latter is held in a closed position by thebuoyancy of a float in the tank, and opened at the time, in the mannerand for the purpose stated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand,this 15th day of February, 1896, in the presence of witnesses.

JOHN N. SWANSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM FRINK, J. L. TURNER.

